It's all in the numbers .....! Last week a group of RSPB staff and volunteers (as well as members of Langstone Harbour Board, Hampshire County Council, The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the Chichester Harbour Conservancy) carried out the annual Langstone Harbour Islands nest count. The weather was fair and the Solent calm. The black-headed gulls screamed in protest as we landed on the islands, though none of us suffered an aerial attack, a definite bonus!
Swiftly and tentatively scanning the shingle for nests, we gradually worked through the colony. This is the only time we disturb the birds during the breeding season, but the information we gather is invaluable. Luckily, it was obvious that the birds weren't too alarmed as they very quickly settled back down behind us. The massive storm surges over the winter had obviously taken their toll on the shingle and vegetation, but the changes, fortunately had had less of an impact than we expected with black-headed Gull numbers increasing although Mediterranean gull numbers were down on last year. The better news is that the sandwich terns nested this year with 66 nests present - the best since 2011 - way to go guys! So what of the Little Terns? We were thrilled to see a good number around the islands, showing lots of courting activity and all our fingers are crossed for a successful breeding season.
Above: The typical, almost undetectable 'nest' or scrape of a sandwich tern. 1-2 eggs is an average clutch.
A peregrine had been in the area and the remains of a black-headed gull indicated that the falcon wasn't just here for a bit of sightseeing. Hopefully it was just a fleeting visit. She hasn't been seen for a number of days and I imagine a few thousand angry gulls could be slightly off putting even for such a supreme predator. There must be easier places to grab a snack!
Above: Remains of a peregrine kill!
Above: Site Manager, Wez Smith taking a well earned moment to reflect on all the hard work over the last few months.
Above: The Round Nap, a tiny island and our smallest breeding site. Just a few minutes on land and the count was complete, you can see the gulls settling back down as we headed off to Terra firma.
Let's hope that's the last human disturbance at the breeding colonies this year and the birds can get on with rearing their families. Staff and volunteers will be out patrolling and protecting them as much as possible - one good 'tern' does deserve another and we'll soon know if we've created the perfect des res for our star species, the Little Tern. Thanks to everyone involved for a really successful day.